Staging scenes to capture a single image that provides a narrative has been used by photographers since the early days of photography. Initially it was only acceptable for photographers to capture the thing in front of the lens. The ‘Truth’. It also acted as a record of nature and to capture geographical locations that people could only dream of visiting.
Some early practitioners such as Henry Peach Robinson wanted photography to be accepted as art and were influential in encouraging use of artistic creativity in composition and techniques. He not only encouraged this in atmospheric outdoor scenes but also produced indoor tableau recreating literary scenes such as his interpretation of Lord Tennyson’s 1932 poem Lady of Shalott. This is a common photographic subject as the poem is about a curse where reality can only be seen through the reflection in a mirror. These types of subject relate to the specificity of photography and alludes to its nature of capturing an image through a lens, commonly via a prism or mirror.
In fact, Robinson was critical of his own attempt saying “It was a ghastly mistake to attempt such a subject with our realistic art and … I never afterwards went for themes beyond the limits of the life of our day”. This realisation came about because viewers were confused as they had assumed it was real scene and not an acted out tableau. In fact Robinson had used two negatives, one of the lady on the boat in the water and another for the tree lined background. It was apparent that the art world was not ready to interpret this photograph and just saw a model lying in a boat.
Philip-Lorca diCorca (b. 1951) is a contemporary photographer who researches sites and sets them up, usually without the actual subject in place. He then sets up a camera to capture his subjects, sometimes, unknowingly and other times to recreate a grabbed street photography moment. His lighting is theatrical and is a combination of natural daylight and studio lighting. In one series he set up a tripod in a Times Square with overhead strobe lighting. The camera triggered as passers-by walked past resulting in Streetwork (1998) and Heads (2001).
Philp-Lorca diCorcia’s work is a style of staged candid street photography. Another photographer who stages his scenes is Gregory Crewdson. His work differs from diCorcia as it is completely staged with actors and set design. His lighting and sets are built to a high budget movie standard. His role is equivalent to a Director/Cinematographer and does not actually handle any camera. Even his outdoor scenes are staged in ‘closed off’ roads and neighbourhoods with striking lighting giving an otherworldly feel. He generates surreal scenes and creates multiple levels of narrative, strong visual colours and clarity.
His work has been described as psychological and this can be seen in Cathedral of the Pines (2013). The lighting is not as dramatic as in his previous work but the psychological element is present in the form of the blank/thoughtful expressions on the subject’s faces. The combination of seeing all of the images together in exhibition large format adds to the unease and uncertainty which is not as noticeable on a screen or in a book.
The scenes appear mundane but the lighting is not a natural light which requires an artistic eye. My photography on the course to date has been to use the camera to capture accurately the scene in front of me. Lighting has only ever been key in my night assignment in EYV module. I can see that using additional lighting can emphasise certain areas of the frame and add a certain atmosphere. My problem is understanding how to use it and in what circumstances. By creating an artificial light the author needs to have a concept and story that matches the lighting otherwise it will be gimmicky.
I have already identified that when I take my camera out I need to have a concept in mind. I am now unlikely to take pictures just to record being there. I may take some family pictures and have started to use shallow depth of field for those. I certainly get closer in the my subject which is usually an historic building or woodland.
I have never staged a scene apart from moving a few things around to tidy up scenes for Assignment 3. These images captured my home as it is so I would not count it as staging and there were no human subjects included.
Martyn Rainbird 